Legends
by Numbuh 212
Summary: [Four nations. Four tellers. One tale.] Centuries after Avatar Aang's defeat of the Fire Nation, people continue to tell his story and those of his friends. Chapter Four: Fire.
1. Air

I do not own Avatar

Legends 

I. Air

"Once, long, long, _long_ ago, there was a time when there were no Airbenders left."

A small gasp from the audience interrupted her tale, and the old grandmother frowned at the young one.

"Sorry," he whispered meekly. "But were there really no Airbenders at all?"

"As far as anyone knew. The Fire Nation was trying to take over all the nations, and they knew that the only one who could stop them in their mad quest for power was the Avatar. The Air Nomads were the next nation in the Avatar Cycle, so the soldiers of the Fire Nation killed all of them."

Shocked cries and quiet sobs greeted this statement, but the grandmother held up a finger and continued.

"Or at least, that's what they thought. What they didn't know was that one small boy had run away from his temple with his flying bison, and so was spared from the massacre."

"The Avatar," breathed a girl, entranced by the tale.

"Yes, the Avatar. His name was Aang, and he was only twelve years old when he was found – frozen in an iceberg – by two teenagers of the Southern Water Tribe. Together with a young Earthbender, they went on to defeat the Fire Nation and save the world."

Every child stared at her, their eyes wide and their mouths open in amazement.

"Did that _really_ happen, Grandmother?" asked the little girl.

"Of course it did," said the boy, pulling her pigtail.

As she slapped his hand away, another boy said, "_My_ dad says that Avatar Aang didn't do anything like that. He says that the Fire Nation was just trying to keep the peace, when Avatar Aang came in and messed everything up."

"That's not true!" shouted the first boy, jumping up and pointing accusingly at the second boy. "Avatar Aang was a _hero_, and someday I want to be just like him!"

The two boys began scuffling, trading blows and insults energetically. The rest of the kids shrieked, and some of the other boys looked like they were about to join in, when the grandmother cleared her throat warningly. The young boys stepped away from each other and turned to face her. "Sorry, Grandmother," they said in unison, hanging their heads.

"All right, then, go and play," she said, making a shooing motion towards them. A breeze nudged the children gently, and they ran off, laughing – all except one.

"But is it _really_ a true story, Grandmother?" asked the young girl persistently.

"Well," said the old woman, giving the retreating boys a stern look, "no one really knows. All we really know is that there _was_ an Avatar Aang. There are some who say that the rest of it was just something that was made up over time. What do you think?"

The girl furrowed her brow in concentration, and the grandmother laughed. "Go and play with the others now, young one," she said gently.

The oldest woman of the Eastern Air Temple smiled softly as she watched the children running and shrieking with laughter. The story of Avatar Aang would give inspiration to another generation.

The End

A/N: So the idea behind this is that it's been so long since the events of Avatar that some people don't believe it happened. They've turned into something like King Arthur, or maybe even Hercules: just myths. There'll be four chapters, one for each nation (cause that's such an original idea, isn't it?) and the next one should be up in about a week or so.

Reviews welcome, and concrit greatly appreciated!

Numbuh 212


	2. Water

I do not own Avatar.

**Legends**

II. Water

"Once, long, long, _long_ ago, there was a time when the girls of the Northern Water Tribe weren't allowed to do any bending."

The youngest girl in the group, who was just beginning her Waterbending training, looked indignant. "And why _not_?"

"Hush, girl, and let me tell the story," said the _sifu_, sending her a look. She crossed her arms with a huff, but said no more.

"Now, the _sifu_ back then was Master Pakku. He, like the rest of the tribe elders, believed that a woman's place was with her family, not fighting. As a result, the girls were only taught how to use their bending for healing."

A couple of boys smirked at this, which earned them each a whack to the back of the head from the nearest girl.

"Then a young Waterbender named Katara came to the North Pole with the Avatar. Master Pakku agreed to teach the Avatar Waterbending, but when Katara wanted to learn along with him, the Master turned her down and sent her to learn healing with the young ones."

Sympathetic groans came now, even from the boys. They knew how embarrassed they would be in her position.

"As you can imagine, Katara was not too happy about that. She was a strong-willed girl and didn't give up easily. The very next day, she marched down and challenged him to a Waterbending duel."

Everyone in the crowd gasped. A novice Waterbender challenging a Master? It was unthinkable! The poor girl would get creamed.

"As you might imagine, she was defeated. Soundly. However, her determination so impressed Master Pakku that he agreed to teach her. After that, and the battle with the Fire Nation that came within the week, the people began realizing that the girls and women might be able to help fight. Of course, centuries of beliefs don't just change overnight. It was decades before the women could go to battle with the men, and even longer than that for them to fight side by side. But eventually things evened out, and women are now viewed as equal to men."

Every girl there had a satisfied grin on her face. A few of the older boys were disgruntled, but the rest of them merely looked slightly sheepish.

One of the girls, who was about fourteen, spoke up. " _Sifu, why_ did they think that girls weren't as good as boys?"

"Almost since the beginning of time, it had been that way in the Water Tribes. There are those who say that the great Moon Spirit created us that way, and to do as we are doing now is to defy the Great One. Others, such as myself, believe that we can all learn to do anything we wish, no matter what age or gender."

Suddenly the instructor clapped her hands sharply. "Okay, enough storytelling. Defense position!"

The students jumped up quickly and stood in the beginning stance. As their teacher led them through the drills, she smiled a small triumphant smile. The story of Katara would continue to remind girls how lucky they had it.

The End

A/N: Well, there was the second part. Any discrepancies between this story and the actual episode may be credited to the passing of time, or possibly to the fact that I haven't seen said episode in a while. Anyway, I hope you like it!

Reviews welcome and concrit greatly appreciated!

Numbuh 212


	3. Earth

I do not own Avatar

Legends – Earth

"Once, long, long, _long_ ago, there was a time when a young blind girl was the champion of the Earth Rumble."

The children's mother paused on her way to the kitchen and rolled her eyes. "You don't still believe that old story, do you, little brother?"

"Don't listen to your mother," the young uncle whispered conspiratorially. "This really happened."

"Stop filling their heads with nonsense, brother. It's almost time for bed, anyway."

"Her name was Toph," he continued, ignoring his sister, "and in her time she was known as the greatest Earthbender ever."

"When she was born, her family thought her blindness a great tragedy. They kept her hidden away, and had someone watching her at all times, lest she hurt herself. She had a teacher, who taught her the basics of Earthbending but not much more."

"That's awful," said the youngest boy sympathetically.

"Yes, it was. Until Toph was eleven, she pretty much let it happen. But then one day, she heard of an Earthbending competition known as the Earth Rumble."

This statement was greeted with excited giggles, but the uncle held up his hand to hush them.

"She had been practicing more complex moves without her teacher knowing, and so she decided to give it a shot. She tunneled under the wall and followed the vibrations, getting lost twice before she found it. As soon as Toph stepped through the doors, she knew that this was _exactly_ what she had been looking for.

"She stepped up to add her name to the list, and the judges laughed. She was persistent, though, and talked her way into a place on the roster. She fought her first match . . . and lost."

Now there were disappointed groans from the children, but once again he held up a hand to hush them.

"Toph was disappointed, but it only made her train harder. The next month she went back, and the next, and the next. She started winning more and more matches, until she finally beat the champion and claimed his title. By now she was known as the Blind Bandit."

The older boy gasped at the name. "Hey, I've heard of her! I didn't know she was so young, though."

"Yes, and she was only twelve when, one day, she was challenged by a newcomer. He wasn't much older than she was, but he defeated her by using Airbending.

"Later he came to her house and told her that he was the Avatar, and he needed an Earthbending teacher. She turned him down at first, but after she realized how tired she as of her parents' stifling behavior, she changed her mind. She traveled with the Avatar, and ended up helping to defeat the Fire Nation, even fighting Lord Ozai herself."

"Wow, that's awesome," said the girl, smiling.

"Look, uncle, I can be like Toph!" called the young boy, stomping his foot and raising a small chunk of dirt from the ground.

"Good job!" the uncle said encouragingly.

As his sister hustled her kids off to bed, he smiled. The story of the Blind Bandit would continue to remind generations to follow their dreams.

The End

A/N: So I was watching Avatar at my grandfather's house, and when he saw Aang, he said, "That kid needs an arrow on his head to know where he's going?" Also my brother insisted on calling Appa a flying llama. I don't know what I'm going to do with them.

Anyway, so sorry about taking forever, guys. As an apology, I bring to you the final two chapters. Hope you like them.

Numbuh 212


	4. Fire

I do not own Avatar

Legends – Fire 

"Once, long, long, _long_ ago, there was a time when the Fire Nation ruled almost the whole earth."

"Cool," said one of the young boys eagerly.

"_Not_ 'cool,'" said the teacher." They ruled through fear, taking over one city at a time. Those who resisted were crushed, and the few remaining became too scared to do anything. It had been one hundred years since anyone had seen the Avatar, and the Fire Nation had killed all the Air Nomads, the next nation in the Avatar Cycle."

The students all looked shocked. Murmurs of dismay ran around the classroom, and the teacher stomped his foot to restore order.

"Hush! Let me speak!" When they had quieted down, he continued. "With no sign of the Avatar, the Fire Nation continued across the earth, conquering anything in their way.

"Fire Lord Ozai reigned at that time, and had two children – a son, Zuko, and a daughter, Azula. Zuko was in line to become the next Fire Lord, until he disrespected his father and was banished."

Everyone gasped. For one of the royal family, banishment was the worst possible punishment.

"He left in disgrace with his uncle, General Iroh. They sailed for a year, and then Zuko saw signs in the sky that told him the Avatar had been found. At once he knew what he could do. If Zuko captured the Avatar and brought him back to his father then he would certainly be given back his place and his honor."

The students nodded. It made sense to them.

"Zuko managed to take the Avatar from the Water Tribe village where he was seeking sanctuary, but he escaped and flew off with two teenagers from the Water Tribe.

"He chased them all over, coming close only to have them slip through his fingers time and time again. Until, one day, he saw his own face on a wanted poster. Not long after, he learned that his father had sent his sister, Azula, to bring him back . . . in chains."

Once again, the class gasped.

"He and his uncle knew they had to hide, so they disguised themselves as Earth Kingdom refugees. Iroh opened a teashop in Ba Sing Se, and they stayed there in relative comfort, though Zuko soon grew restless. He wanted to be on the move, to be hunting the Avatar.

"Soon, however, Azula showed up. Dressed as warriors from the village of Kyoshi, she and her two companions infiltrated the palace and took over Ba Sing Se. She immediately had her brother and uncle captured. Iroh was thrown in the dungeon, but Zuko agreed to help his sister, in hopes that it would put him back in his father's favor.

"However, racked with guilt over his betrayal of his uncle, the only real father he'd ever known, he soon left his sister's company. He freed his uncle, and they set off once again, with no real destination in mind.

"Soon came word of the impending battle, and they made their way to the Fire Nation. Zuko did not know which side of the battle to fight on. In the end, he did what he could for what he knew was right.

"Now, class, I hope you memorized last night's homework . . ."

The End


End file.
